This invention relates to a water equilibrating arrangement in a sea-going vessel or the like.
If a sea-going vessel is provided with two side by side compartments, each of which may, in case of damage to the vessel, be filled with water, safety regulations require that water flowing into one of the compartments must also have access to the other compartment. This ensures that the water load will be uniformly distributed over the cross-section of the vessel. If this does not apply, the vessel could lose its stability and capsize.
There is no difficulty in designing compartments which allow water to flow from one compartment to another. However, there is also a requirement for certain compartments to be closed off in a gas-tight manner, for example in case of fire. Closing a compartment prevents the spread of fire and also allows the closed compartment to be filled with gas to choke the fire.